For Colombian rising animation talent María Cristina Pérez, whose experimental short “Once in a Body” (“Una vez en un Cuerpo”) competed in the Annecy Animation Festival’s Perspectives sidebar, human connection is the overriding theme in her growing body of work.

This is her fourth short, which she dedicates to her sister. “The story portrayed in the short film, about the protagonist as a child and her sister as a teen, is entirely fictional,” she stresses. “It brings together a number of anecdotes and experiences – some of my own, others from people close to me who have gone through similar situations – but the story itself is a work of fiction,” she tells Variety.

Using oil on paper in traditional 2D animation, the 10-minute experimental drama centers on a heavy-set woman who floats and morphs across the screen as her voiceover relates the traumatic experience she shares with her sister. She is also coping with a strange being that lives inside her as she seeks to reconcile with her sibling over the incident in their youth.

The short is not only a love letter to a sister, but above all, to intimacy, loss and feminine fragility as seen through the body, she says.

“I kept reflecting on how the body affects us but is also shaped by everything we experience, almost as if it had a life and will of its own that we must learn to accept. Somehow, I connected the idea of the mind and body pulling in opposite directions with the persistence of certain feelings, even in the midst of that dissonance,” she declares in her director’s statement.

Pérez is now developing her first animated feature film titled “My Dad the Truck,” which she hopes to premiere in 2028. “It tells the story of a fractured relationship between a father and his daughter, and how, through a journey they undertake together from the countryside to the city, they gradually rebuild the bond between them.”

Reflecting on her time at Annecy where “Once in a Body” also vied for the Audience Award, she says: “My experience at Annecy is always incredibly rewarding. It’s also an invaluable opportunity to reconnect with the Latin American animation community, as well as colleagues from the global animation industry.”

About Colombia’s animation industry, she notes that “Colombian animation is indeed a young industry, but one that is growing and maturing at a remarkable pace. In recent years, I believe the most exciting developments have taken place in the short film format, allowing for bold explorations of themes through increasingly personal perspectives, alongside aesthetic approaches that reflect a strong desire to experiment with both form and content.”

“We are also seeing a much broader range of academic programs dedicated to animation, as well as the consolidation of more production companies across the country. Together, these developments have fostered a unique and deeply sensitive animation scene that will continue to strengthen Colombia’s presence on the international stage,” she adds.

However, there are still some hurdles to surmount, particularly financing. She points to the fact that Colombia offers a wide range of funding programs that are essential to sustaining the audiovisual ecosystem, but still do not suffice to fully support animated productions.

“Unlike live-action filmmaking, animation requires considerably more time and a larger, more specialized team. As a result, filmmakers are often forced to compromise on creative decisions or, in some cases, are unable to complete their projects.”

“Once in a Body” is produced by Pez Dorado Animaciones in co-production with Cartuna.

The Annecy Animation Festival took place over June 21-27.

Several Gulf countries have strongly denounced Iran’s Saturday drone strikes on the island nation of Bahrain, while vowing to stand united against any possible aggression from Tehran in the future.

This escalation poses the greatest threat yet to the memorandum of understanding signed last week by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

After Iran struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, the U.S. launched overnight airstrikes on Iranian missile, drone and radar sites. Iran responded Saturday with the drone strikes on Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

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The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, called Iran’s attack on Bahrain “treacherous,” adding that it will undermine ongoing peace efforts in the Middle East.

The GCC represents the interests of Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, several of which released their own statements condemning Iran.

Bahrain itself issued a response, confirming that Iran flew a number of drones into its territory and calling the strikes a “flagrant threat” to the nation’s security. It remains unclear exactly which areas Iran targeted.

US ALLY KUWAIT CONDEMNS ‘BRUTAL AND ONGOING IRANIAN ATTACKS’ AFTER AIRPORT WAS HIT

“While the Ministry condemns this heinous aggression, it affirms that the Iranian regime’s continued attacks, at a time when regional and international efforts are moving towards de-escalation, place the sole responsibility on Tehran for undermining peace efforts, and reveals an approach based on destabilizing security, exporting chaos, and undermining regional stability,” Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry also said Saturday.

Officials in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also came out with statements on Saturday condemning Iran.

Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry said the Iranian strikes represent “a dangerous undermining of endeavors for peace and stability, and a threat to the security and stability of the region.”

Both Kuwait and the UAE said they remain committed to supporting Bahrain’s safety and stability.

US STRIKES IRAN AFTER STRAIT OF HORMUZ CARGO SHIP ATTACK AS CEASEFIRE TENSIONS ESCALATE

Also joining in the public denouncements of Iran were Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with both countries saying the latest strikes violate Bahrain’s sovereignty and international law.

Notably, Oman’s foreign ministry has not addressed the attack. Oman has maintained a neutral stance throughout the war and has frequently acted as a mediator between Washington and Tehran.

Oman and Iran are also still in the midst of negotiating a joint framework for the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guard took responsibility for the strikes on Bahrain, saying on state-run TV that it had targeted several locations “of the U.S. terrorist army in the region” without specifying which areas were hit, according to The Associated Press.

So far, no casualties or significant damage has been reported from the drone attack, which occurred days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Gulf allies in Bahrain.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Now, more than four years into the current war, Ukraine is targeting the peninsula with increased drone attacks.

In response, authorities in the Russian-controlled region have declared a state of emergency, admitting they are facing challenging times.

This week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the start of what he called a 40-day “influence operation” to push Russia to end the war.

But can Kyiv’s broader strategy successfully end the conflict? And why is Crimea at the centre of this shift?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Leonid Ragozin – Independent journalist who focuses on Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe

Yulia Kazdobina – Senior Fellow in the Security Studies Programme at the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council

Stefan Wolff – Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham